Twenty years ago today, we opened our doors for the very first time with a celebration organised by legendary opera singer, Sir Bryn Terfel. Since then, we’ve welcomed millions of you to revel in everything from smash-hit musicals to our own innovative productions, festivals and creative courses. Diolch for making Wales Millennium Centre so magical and supporting our journey.
Think you’re our super fan? Settle in and discover 20 facts about us you might not know...
1. Made in Wales
Our building consists of 4,500 tonnes of local steel, clad in 2,000 tonnes of recycled Welsh slate, and five types of Welsh hardwoods from sustainable woodlands warmly line the interior. Watch our video with our architect, Jonathan Adams, to learn more.
2. A historical location
Wales Millennium Centre sits on 7.5 acres of old dockland, in an area which was known locally as Tiger Bay. The docks were once the busiest in the world, exporting coal across the globe. Over 50 nationalities settled in the area, making the community one of the UK’s oldest diverse populations.
3. In these stones
Our iconic bilingual inscription was written by the poet Gwyneth Lewis, with just days to go until the architectural plans had to go to the builders! We asked Hanan Issa, the current National Poet of Wales, to interview Gwyneth and write her own poem in response to the inscription to mark our 20th anniversary.
'It feels like the building is dreaming'
4. We make our own productions
Our produced work has been seen the world over, including in New York, Cape Town and London’s National Theatre. Oh, and don’t forget the time we helped make a giant peach appear in Cardiff city centre.
5. We’re a cultural home
Our eight incredible resident organisations – including Welsh National Opera, Literature Wales and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales – help form a busy campus under our iconic roof.
6. We’ve got our own radio station
Radio Platfform gives young people a chance to produce and present their own live radio shows and podcasts, at both Wales Millennium Centre and The Factory in Porth.
7. That’s not all young people do here
Platfform is our programme of free courses, training, experiences and workshops for 11–25-year-olds, ranging from creative writing, screen and film and graffiti to screen-printing, graphic novel production and more.
8. It’s not all about one big stage
Yes, it does house the second largest stage in Europe and host some of the world’s biggest performers, but the Donald Gordon Theatre isn’t the only show in town. From a vibrant Cabaret stage to a dedicated space for immersive storytelling, there’s plenty more experiences to be had here.
9. We have our own festival
Our annual international arts festival Llais is inspired by the instrument that connects us all – the voice. With a mixture of free and ticketed events, previous performers include Rufus Wainwright, Patti Smith and Elvis Costello.
10. Access for all
To ensure everyone can access the arts, we collaborate with communities, young people and audiences to create programmes that welcome all. These include our steel pan band Pantasia, supporting Butetown Carnival and Croeso Tickets, our pay what you can ticketing scheme.
11. We're a charity
We want to make sure we’re a home for everyone in our community. Donations contribute towards the cost of our Platfform courses, rehearsal spaces for new productions and supporting young people to produce and present their own work.
12. Welsh produce
Our café-bar Ffwrnais serves local Welsh products, including coffee from Quantum and delicious pastries from Pettigrew.
13. Members get more
Starting from £42 a year, our members’ perks include priority booking, discounts in Ffwrnais and our theatre bars as well as exclusive ticket offers.
14. Innovative technology
We’re a partner in Immersive Arts, a UK-wide programme supporting artists to use virtual, augmented and extended reality to create artwork that engages multiple senses.
15. Speaking of immersive technology...
We recently unveiled our plans for our new digital-first performance venue which will include a dedicated space for exploring the power of immersive experiences, as well as facilities for production, rehearsal and training.
16. Our net zero roadmap
Our steps to reduce our carbon emissions include installing solar panels on our roof, following Theatre Green Book standards for our productions and switching to e-tickets. We’ve also recently achieved an A rating for our Display Energy Certificate.
17. Nurturing the next generation of techies
Our technical apprentices receive a year of full-time paid employment where they get backstage experience either with us or at one of our partner organisations across Wales.
18. Filming location
Several television productions have used parts of our building for filming, including Gavin & Stacey and Doctor Who. Have you ever recognised us on TV?
19. Our volunteer scheme
We encourage people from all walks of life and of all ages to get more involved with the arts and volunteer with us. Most work as venue ushers, helping audiences to their seats and answering queries.
20. We can't do any of this without you
While we do get some public funding, so much of what happens in our building can only happen thanks to the generosity of our community – buying tickets, grabbing a drink and donating to support our work. Diolch o galon.